Ode to Joy! We try area’s highest rated Chinese takeaway to see if it really is that good ...
MANY takeaways claim to be the best in the area or the most value for money, but the question is, do they really deserve their title?
Being a fan of a Chinese takeaway, I decided to see if the highest rated in North East Lincolnshire was worthy of its crown.
New Joy on Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes was what popped up after doing some research and so I began meticulously planning my order.
Wanting to make sure I got plenty of dishes to try, I went for an array of flavours and textures, as well as the more unusual Chinese dishes.
Equipped with a feast fit for a king, I ventured on to see if New Joy was truly deserving of being called the best.
My order included a pork chow mein, egg fried rice, salt and pepper chips, pork dumplings, chicken samosas, spring rolls, chicken balls, beef in Szechuan sauce and thrown in for free were the obligatory prawn crackers and some crispy chicken wantons.
I’d like to point out that I wasn’t eating all this by myself. Although, with the quality of the dishes, I reckon I could’ve given it a very good go.
First up were the salt and pepper chips. A recent discovery for me, but one that I absolutely love. These were nothing short of amazing in my opinion.
The balance of spices and the salt and pepper was as close to perfect you can get and the chips were equally as well cooked. I have to admit, I’m a massive fan of chips from a Chinese takeaway.
Then came the turn of the pork chow mein and beef in Szechuan sauce. Now, I’m not a massive fan of spice so the beef wasn’t a highhigh light for me, but the meat itself was cooked brilliantly.
The pork chow mein however is quite possibly the best chow mein I’ve ever had. The noodles weren’t too thick or slimy and worked well as an opposing texture to the pork. Again, a faultless dish.
After gushing over those for a while, I turned my attention to the various side dishes I’d ordered.
I opted for the spring roll first, which was a great decision. The pastry was crisp and not in the slightest bit greasy while the filling tasted fresh and was full of flavour.
Next came the turn of the samosas. Not something I ever expected to find on a Chinese menu, but nevertheless, I decided to give them a go.
I’m glad I did as well. Again, the pastry was brilliantly cooked and the chicken inside had a lovely kick to it that prevented it from being your average chicken wrapped in some form of batter or pastry.
With the bar already set very high, I turned my attention to the free wantons and pork dumplings. However, the dumplings weren’t really for me if I’m honest.
Although I’ve no doubt they were cooked right, the texture was a little slimy and not something I was overly keen on.
The wantons however were the star of the show. With a light pastry and flavoursome filling, they shot their way up to the top of the rankings.
Considering I never even ordered them, I was quite surprised at how tasty they were.
Last of all came the chicken balls. This tends to be something everyone has from a Chinese and they were like any other really. Nothing too extravagant, but nice.
For afters, I was treated to a fortune cookie. It was a great way to finish off my meal, even if it did have an odd message for me. The note inside read “You will become famous”.
If I’m honest, I’m not sure that’s going to happen anytime soon, but it was nice to know someone thought I would.
Now to answer the big question, was it worthy of being called the best in the area? Well, I have to say, I think it was.
The flavours and quality of cooking were second to none and, although it may not look like it from the outside, New Joy is definitely the place to go if you fancy a Chinese takeaway in the future.